WSJ tells Rand Paul to 'calm down'

Senator slammed on editorial page over epic filibuster on drones

Published: 03/07/2013 at 10:42 PM

(Huffington Post) The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board slammed Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) Thursday for his almost 13-hour filibuster against John Brennan, the nominee for CIA director, over the fact that Attorney General Eric Holder said the U.S. government had the legal authority to kill an American citizen on U.S. soil.

“Calm down, Senator,” wrote the editors. “Mr. Holder is right, even if he doesn’t explain the law very well. The U.S. government cannot randomly target American citizens on U.S. soil or anywhere else. What it can do under the laws of war is target an “enemy combatant” anywhere at anytime, including on U.S. soil. This includes a U.S. citizen who is also an enemy combatant.”